Originally posted on theFreshXpress.com
I’m big on redemption, and after signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, Mike Vick may end up bouncing back like nobody we’ve seen since Marion “Nine Lives” Barry.
Everybody isn’t as big on redemption as I am though. I conducted some in-depth interviews (Twitter trending topics), and the feedback on Mike Vick was pretty disturbing…
“I don’t care if he was gods gift to football, michael vick deserves to be flippin pancakes at ihop, not raking in nfl-sized paychecks.”
“Philadelphia Eagles are despicable for signing Michael VIck to a two year contract.”
“Michael Vick is mentally ill. He hasn’t shown remorse or a genuine desire to make a difference in the communities that need it.”
“Michael Vick… ur still a JOKE!”
“FUCK. YOU. EAGLES. Michael Vick, though?!?! You make me ashamed to be from Philly.”
“Sorry to hear Michael Vick found a team. Hope he breaks a leg and someone puts him down like he did his dogs that couldn’t play.”
“Michael Vick – lots of football players break their necks! I for one would not be at all saddened if that happened to the a$$hole.”
“Michael Vick is a complete disgrace and utter moron.”
“ok will need to do a work out soon to get this anger out about the michael Vick thing…wake up america!”
“Screw Michael Vick and the Eagles…murderers…you should be so proud of your city Philly…just wait for the protests…I’ll be there!”
“Those ass holes who sided with Michael Vick need to be in jail ASAP.”
“Really? Hope he gets tortured like he did those dogs! DOUCHE! RT @MCHammer good luck Michael Vick and thank you to the Eagles…2nd chance:)”
“BOYCOTT the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES!!! They just signed MICHAEL VICK – who TORTURED and MURDERED DOGS!!!”
“Michael Vick is coming to the Eagles?!? Wow. That’s a damned shame. Now, I’ll have to watch even less of the local sports team.”
“Well, sorry Eagles, my family won’t be watching if Michael Vick is playing. That guy is a real freaking scumbag. Idiotic move coach Reid!”
“Michael Vick is an Asshole.”
Yeah, the extremists were out in full force last night. Some knowledgeable, some not so much.
“Michael Vick deserves prison time.”
I dunno buddy… did you miss the prison time he just did? He’s supposed to go BACK to prison again or something?
Everybody may not agree with giving Mike Vick a second chance. Those people can go kick rocks. True, Mike Vick made some pretty horrible mistakes. He helped take the lives of quite a few dogs, but he also paid a price for his actions in the criminal justice system. Rather than look at what Mike Vick DID, I’d rather look at what he has the ability to do in the future. Not to help satisfy the extremists who think he should be paralyzed, sent to prison for life, or put down (killed)…but rather what he has the potential to do for the people who actually liked and looked up to him from the beginning… young black boys & men.
The people who don’t want to see Mike Vick given a second chance…they probably never wanted to actually see him do well in the first place. He shouldn’t concern himself with them. You can’t satisfy everyone, and anyone who wishes to see any human being break their neck (which could easily lead to paralysis), probably is just plain mean-spirited anyway. They never saw Mike Vick the person. They saw Mike Vick the spoiled, overpaid, black athlete. Those come a dime a dozen in their eyes. There were many people who saw in Mike Vick more than just an athlete though. They saw a cultural icon.
Mike Vick came into the league in 2001, unlike anyone who had ever come before him. Able to run faster than everyone else, throw further than everyone else, and jump higher than the rest, Mike Vick was Lebron before Lebron. A sports prodigy who was bound to change the sport. Young black boys wanted to be “all-time quarterback” in the backyard. Madden enthusiasts played with Vick’s first team, the Atlanta Falcons, even though the Falcons weren’t really that good. Young black boys across the nation idolized him because he was a great player…and cool at that. Braids, goatee, throwback jerseys, Nike deal. Total package. He was billed as the Michael Jordan of football at one point. Be Like Mike pt. deux.
Only in the end, we saw that maybe we SHOULDN’T have wanted to “Be Like Mike” Vick. His public image was one thing, but reality was another. He fell into the traps that many of the young black and gifted do. He had family members he had to support. He had an entourage that hung around him and, instead of having his back, took advantage of him. He smoked weed. He blew his money. He obviously took part in illegal activities. He didn’t have stability. So even though he had the world, and a $100 million dollar contract, the end result wasn’t “success”. Just as quickly as he was billed the best athlete in the country, he was sent to federal prison, bankrupt and alone.
Mike Vick has a chance to bounce back though, and give young black boys & men a reason to really want to “Be Like Mike.” He served his time in prison, and he now has a blueprint for success.
- He has financial planners on his side to make sure he doesn’t blow his money on bad business investments, his entourage, and other ill advised moves.
- He has a mentor in Tony Dungy. It is important for young black men to have older mentors in our lives, no matter our age. There is no better experience than life experience, and Dungy will pass on the knowledge he’s gained though the years to Vick. Vick won’t be blowing his money on bad decisions like Bad Newz Kennelz or his failed winery venture. And odds are he won’t surround himself with low integrity type cats again either.
- He has a fiancee. As long as she’s the right woman for him, she should help provide him with stability and focus. Instead of an entourage of hangers-on around him trying to get him to do who knows what (strip clubs, weed, and house parties are some possibilities), he’ll have the focus to know WHY he’s doing what he’s doing.
He has a team behind him that wants to see him succeed, and that is extremely important for people to see.
We won’t see the immature Mike Vick that we saw before, blowing through tens of millions of dollars, giving his own
fans the middle finger, and killing dogs. What we will see is a dedicated family man, who turned his life around…and is STILL a top flight NFL QB. He will be doing tons of community service, and odds are he will mean it. He claims to have gained a better relationship with God, which is always great news. All in all, Mike Vick has the chance to become exactly what young boys & men should have been wanting to be in the beginning… a strong black man. Free of the material excesses and demons that haunt the young black & gifted, Mike Vick will have a story like no other.
“Congrats to Michael Vick, when one door closes God will open up another:-)”
“welcome back Michael Vick!!! Truth be told, we all need “another” chance at some point!”